# CVE-2024-5178: Incomplete Input Validation in SecurelyAccess API

> Administrative users can exploit incomplete input validation to read sensitive files on the web application server.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Jul 2024
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qm6x-v3jw-cvp7

## What is CVE-2024-5178?

CVE-2024-5178 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in ServiceNow Now Platform, published on 10 Jul 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ServiceNow has addressed a sensitive file read vulnerability that was identified in the Washington DC, Vancouver, and Utah Now Platform releases. This vulnerability could allow an administrative user to gain unauthorized access to sensitive files on the web application server. The vulnerability is addressed in the listed patches and hot fixes, which were released during the June 2024 patching cycle. If you have not done so already, we recommend applying security patches relevant to your instance as soon as possible.

Weakness: CWE-184 (Incomplete List of Disallowed Inputs)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-5178?


## How do I fix CVE-2024-5178?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-5178 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-5178 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-5178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-5178 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-5178 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in ServiceNow Now Platform, published on 10 Jul 2024. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-5178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: ServiceNow Now Platform. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5178/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5178/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-5178
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-5178
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-5178

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5178/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.